Kukla's Korner Hockey

LeBrun: The Rangers, Kings and Philadelphia Flyers would make sense to me, although the math would be really tight in New York given the money already tied up in Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik and Henrik Lundqvist. But no doubt Nash represents just what the Blueshirts need. And there are always ways to get creative cap-wise. The Rangers have some young pieces (led by Chris Kreider) that might entice the Jackets. Howson, after all, took in the Rangers-Flyers game over the weekend.

Which brings me to the Flyers, whom I believe also have interest in Nash and certainly have the young pieces to get involved (Braydon Schenn, James Van Riemsdyk or Sean Couturier, etc). Can you imagine Rick Nash on a line with Claude Giroux?

The Kings are a good fit as well, led by young netminder Jonathan Bernier as the carrot for Columbus. The Kings have other young assets such as forward Andrei Loktionov or defenseman Slava Voynov, or even blueliner Jack Johnson. As you mentioned, given L.A.’s craving for an upgrade at the wing position, it wouldn’t be out of the question that they at least explore this.

Another team that could be in the mix is Vancouver. The Canucks do indeed like Nash, and the Blue Jackets would certainly have eyes on young netminder Corey Schneider in any potential deal with Vancouver.

You gotta think that if the BJs do this, they trade Nash out of the conference… and hopefully for them, someone other than Howson is the one pulling the trigger.

Posted by
JG
on 02/14/12 at 04:03 PM ET

Is getting harder and harder to believe that Nash is going to be a Blue Jacket next season.

Posted by bezukov from South of Detroit on 02/14/12 at 12:33 PM ET

During a few interviews with Yzerman after he won his first Cup, he said that early in his career as a Red Wings player, the team got all of their losing (and I mean ‘85-‘86 losing) out of the way as soon as possible. From then on, the Wings have been competitive and made the playoffs just about every year.

Whatever the Wings did to get out of the losing funk for good, it’s not happening in CBJ. That team needs everything new: from the GM down to the players.

I agree, bez. I don’t think Nash will be in CBJ next season.

Posted by
SYF
from Twerkin' with Anastasia Ashley on 02/14/12 at 04:06 PM ET

What pisses me off about NYR being mentioned in this situation with Nash is the fact that they have Redden and his $6 million dollars buried in the AHL. I still think that’s bullshit that they can get away with that. Gary. Ass.

Posted by
Chris in Hockey Hell
from Ann Arbor, MI but LIVING in Columbia, TN on 02/14/12 at 04:41 PM ET

How is PIT not in this mix?

I’m serious. How does PIT not do everything possible to get the guy? Especially with the looming possibility of Crosby never being the same, or even coming back? What is there to lose really?

LA is a cluster… they have so many problems. They’re like the pre-lockout Rangers. They spend in bring in good players and “mysteriously” they never get anywhere.

I still think that’s bullshit that they can get away with that. Gary. Ass.

Posted by Chris in Hockey Hell from COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE on 02/14/12 at 01:41 PM ET

It’s very likely that they won’t be able to anymore at the next opportunity to fix it. Other GM’s hate it as well. Enough that I can’t see it staying.

What’s the CBJ ownership situation? Because if you were certain you were going to cashier Howson, why on earth would you let him trade Nash? Why not let the new GM make that decision, and get the pieces he’s comfortable building around if he wants to (and can) make a trade?

Shero/Bylsma Love Affair with Staal is Downright Creepy ! I personally think Martin would go 1st & Geno YES! Geno would go before they part with Staal1 That is how INSANE their Love Affair is with him.

Neal is Not on the Table because they need MORE wingers not the same amount

The Rangers will ruin a good thing if they trade for this guy. he’s never won anything, no one knows much about him. Playing in Columbus is like being in a witness protection program. Can’t see this guy playing for Tortorella. Doubt he goes anywhere. At least not until the summer. The trend has been to add small pieces at trade deadline not blockbusters. Kovalchuk to the Devils is just starting to pay off. It was not a quick fix.

The Pens got their winger in Neal. He’s been pretty legit… always helps to add, but Nash’s cap hit is huge, and to have that money tied up in three players, one of which whose career is hanging in limbo… lot of cash.

The Pens got their winger in Neal. He’s been pretty legit… always helps to add, but Nash’s cap hit is huge, and to have that money tied up in three players, one of which whose career is hanging in limbo… lot of cash.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 02/15/12 at 08:26 AM ET

Neal is not the answer. He’s having a career year but all indicators are this is the exception and not the rule with him. He’s also very prone to fading late in the season, and that’s still a very real possibility with him, in which case he’s no answer at all.

As for tying up cash… imagine Crosby can’t come back. Like, at all. You had a chance for a proven scoring winger (and a power forward mold at that) to bring in, and you didn’t take it, and you won’t get that chance again.

Man, with Crosby’s cap hit on LTIR I’d do everything I could to get Nash, tell Crosby to take the rest of the year off, and tell my team we’ll figure out what to do with the cap situation later as far as long-term… and just go for it. In the meantime, how can you face your fans if you don’t even try?

@Primis ! yeah if Sid doesn’t come Back & you Trade Staal you Have Dustin Jeffrey as your 2nd Line C . Now I am well known in my belief that Staal is a 3rd Line C & nothing More ! Mind you a very good 3rd Line C, But I would rather have him as 2nd line C than Dustin Jeffrey

It is not just about the cap hit—it is about the cash paid out as well.

To me, it depends on a lot of factors that we just won’t /don’t know:

- How healthy is the Pens franchise financially? How strong is the ownership? Even the Wings, which have been as financially stable as any U.S. team in the last two decades have had points where Ilitch admitted he dipped into the Hot & Ready fund to sign the Hulls and Haseks.

Before Pens fans jump all over me, let me just explain. I’m not at all saying the Pens aren’t financially healthy. But for any team, to pay out an additional $8+ million for a talent doing nothing is going to hurt the bottom line.

Considering how unstable the franchise was financially a relatively short time ago, as a Pens fan, I’d be more concerned about them overextended on long-term deals than whether or not James Neal can continue to be a legitimate winger.

- Do the Pens have insurance on Crosby’s contract? If so, that changes the game, because it means they aren’t really paying $8.7 million for nothing.

- The unpredictability of Crosby’s injury impacts what the Pens can do contractually. Crosby’s contract only has one more season on it, correct? Even so, what do the Pens do if his condition sits in limbo? They won’t want to give up on him unless he officially retires. That being said, if he gets healthy, knowing he’s the best offensive force in the game (and best marketing chip), and the Pens don’t take a chance and extend him, someone else will pay him a lot of money, even if health questions remain. So it is a dicey situation.

If the Pens want to keep their options open, I don’t see how Nash and his albatross of a contract is reasonable. They’d be better off making a huge push for someone like Parise whose contract expires so they can actually negotiate the cap hit of the next deal rather than forcing it upon themselves with Nash’s monster cap hit that is already set in stone.

This is kind of off-topic, but I reject the notion that James Neal “is not the answer.” The “need” for a big-time winger is the second-most overrated idea in the game (behind only, “you need an enforcer to protect your stars”).

Look at our very own hometown team—the Red Wings have won a ton of games and a Stanley Cup post-lockout without a traditional, big-time winger. They’ve slotted centerman on the wing and made it work. They’ve brought in re-treads that rebuilt their game to provide scoring depth and strong work ethic (Bertuzzi, Cleary). The only guy close to that sort of category of top winger is Franzen, and he’s being outscored by Neal by a pretty sizable margin. The Flames and Jackets have been trying to build around power wingers for a decade and it hasn’t got them anything.

Having good hockey players is important. Having a good balance in skills amongst your players is important. But it isn’t the ‘80s any more. You don’t see many wingers flying up the boards and launching a slapper to the top corner. Now, it is about players that play multiple roles well, and getting scoring from a wider pool of players.